Field Recordings Red Blend All the Rage Santa Barbara County 2022

“All the Rage” is the name of the wine, as is made very clear by a label that nearly forces you to smile and jump into your swimming togs. This really does feel of the moment. We want to drink it every week for the foreseeable future. As Elle’s friend in Legally Blonde said: “I got bangs! My hair is so now!” This wine is so now. Which makes sense, because it comes from Field Recordings, a supremely cool project started by Andrew Jones in 2007. He’s a sought-after vine expert and farmer-for-hire who advises on vineyards throughout California. In the process, he makes a lot of friends and gets offered small lots of terrific fruit. And then he plays. There’s a really playful feel to this wine that’s refreshing to both the mouth and the spirit.

Wine Enthusiast blessed it with 93 points: “Lovely and fresh aromas of boysenberry, dark strawberry and generous lilac show on the nose of this blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 6% Syrah and 6% Marselan.” James Suckling gave it a 92: “Bright and juicy, with a silky mouthfeel and exuberant cherries and mountain berries.”

This 2022 sits – more like bounces! – at a nice 13% abv. The fruit came from two vineyards in the Santa Ynez mid-valley sweet spot, where the days are warm, the ocean wind visits in the afternoon, and temps drop dramatically at night. We’re so won over by the light-on-its-feet, crushed shell, wild and fresh and frolicking feel. The tension is frisky, and the flavors flicker back and forth between sweet and tart, building that sense that the juice is alive. A cascade of wild elderberries and blackberries lead the dance. Black cherries percolate as an undercurrent, while black pepper and tomato leaf and rhubarb fill in the middle. Do you have yellow flowering sourgrass where you live? It’s also called wood sorrel. It has a long, clean stem that children love to chew for its wake-you-up tang. The sip closes with a bite of sourgrass and a comforting slathering of strawberry jam. Mm!

We are liking this as a counterpoint/companion to simple, creamy foods like whole grain toast topped with cheddar, olive oil, and black pepper.